Safety deposit box



Dec. l1, 1934. J. DRENTHE SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX Filed March 24, r`1933 SERV/CE W/RE TE/PM/ Al. m57

SERV/CE W//YE' "III x l l l I l l i l l Il V @nl Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,984,012 SAFETY DEPOSIT BX John Drenthe, Chicago, lll. Application March 24, 19323, Serial No. l662,439

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in safety deposit box or receptacle, or the like, for the reception and storage of moneys'and other things of value, and one of the objects oi the invention 5 is to provide an improved box or receptacle of this character equipped with apparatus or means yfor supplying current to charge certain portions thereof, and of such a voltage that when the hand or arm of a person is inserted into the box, an electric circuit will be completed and the voltage of the current will be such that the intruder will not be able to open the compartment containing the things of value, until the circuit is interrupted or broken through the medium of mechanism provided for that purpose and'located outside of the box or receptacle and at' any desired distance therefrom.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objectsy as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, .combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in thev accompanying drawing' illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of'a vsafety'deposit box of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

A Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, with f parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View vtaken on line 3 3, Figure2, showing the parts in one position.

Figure 4 is a View similar toE Figure 3, showing some of the parts in another position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on line 5-5, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the;

numeral 1Q designates generally a deposit box or receptacle of any desired size and configuration and constructed of any suitable material. Within the receptacle is arranged a partition-11 dividing.

the same into two compartments 12-13. These compartmentsmay be of any desired relative size, and the compartment 12 constitutes a reception and storage space for money or thing of value which is to be deposited and protected.

The receptacle 10 is provided with a closed front v having a slot or opening 14 constituting an inletI opening and arranged adjacent the 'compartment 12, and through which slot the money is adapted to be inserted into the compartment 12.

The front of the receptacle is also provided with an inlet opening arranged preferably adjacent the top thereofand is of a Isize only sufficiently large enough to permit'the insertion of a hand andjarm therethrough and this opening is closed by means of a suitable closure 15, provided with ilocking means 16.

The partition 11 is provided with an opening 17 preferably adjacent the bottom thereof, and which opening forms a communication between the compartments 12 and 13, and through which opening the contents of the compartment 12 may be re- 10.

moved.

The opening 17 is adapted to be closed bymeans of a suitable closure 18, -preferably'in the form of a sliding ydoor which moves in Yguides valong the walls of the receptacle and which guides: are formed by a portion of the partition -11 Aand a guide member-19. The door is formed of anysuitable insulating material, such for instance -as bakelite or the like, and recessed into one face of the door 18 and extending substantially the entire area of the face is a metallicplate 20 so arranged that it will be out of electrical contact with the guides 19 and with the other portion of the receptacle.

' A handle 21 may be provided on the closure by means of which it may be raised andlowered so as to open and closethe opening 17.v This may be accomplished by the' operator inserting his hand and arm through the entrance opening of the compartment 13.

' Arranged within the compartment 13 is a partition 22 by means of which a closed compartment 23 is provided. Within `this compartment23 is arranged an electrical device* preferably a transformer, diagrammatically illustrated at 24, and from one end ofthe secondary winding 24:b of which transformer aconductor 25 leads to a contact plate 26, which is arranged within a housing 27. The other end'` of the secondary winding of the transformer is grounded upon the casing 10 as at 35. Tonthe end of the primary winding 24:a of the transformer is connected the service line ,conductory 32, andthe other end of the primary winding 24a is grounded upon thev casing 10 as at 35. 'The conductor-25 passes through a ltubular member 28l and this member 28 may Yform a support for the housing 27, or the housingmay be supported by the wall ofthe receptacle 10. This housing 27 is preferably constructed of insulating material vand slidable therein is a member 29 which is in engagement with the contact plate 26 and is also adapted to engage the plate `20- carried by the door 18. A spring 30 may be provided which tends normally to urge the member29 against the plate 20, and

a handle 31 may be provided for retracting the member 29 against the stress of the spring 30.

With this construction it will be manifest that the transformer 24 will be electrically connected with the plate 20 through the medium of the contact plate 26 and member 29, the transformer receiving current by means of a conductor 32 leading from any suitable source. In the circuit is a switch device 33.

The transformer 24 is of the type which is grounded through its casing and the receptacle 10 is grounded by means of a conductor 34 connected to the receptacle as at 35.

The transformer 24 is provided so as to transform the ordinary supply current into a high voltage current, and with this construction and with the switch 33 closed, it will be manifest that the circuit through the receptacle 10, that is from the transformer 24, conductor 25, contact plate 26, member 29, plate 20, receptacle 10 and ground conductor 35, will be normally open, when the closure 18 is in a closed position as shown in Figure 3.

Therefore, when the entrance closure 15 is opened and the closure 18 is closed, and an intruder inserts his hand and arm through the entrance opening into the compartment 13, no current will pass through the hand and arm, but when the handle 21 is grasped the high Voltage circuit will be closed through the hand and arm of the intruder and receptacle 10, owing to the fact that the arm is in contact with the receptacle wall and ground wire 34.

The voltage of the current is sufciently high so as to impart a severe shock to the intruder and will operate to cause the intruder to cease any further attempt to gain access to the cornpartment 12.

When it is desired to remove the contents from the compartment 12, all that is necessary is to open the switch 33, which latter may be concealed and located in any convenient position unknown to an intruder.

When the switch 33 is open, then the closure 18 may be raised or lowered and the circuit will be ineffective. The spring urged member 29 not only serves the purpose of forming a contact between the transformer and the plate 20, but also serves as a means for holding the closure 18 in its open position by reason of the fact that the member 29 will pass under the closure, as shown in Figure 4.

When it is desired to reset the apparatus, the closure 18 will be closed by retracting the member 29 after which and when the closure 15 is locked, the switch 33 may then again be set.

With this invention it will be manifest that there is provided an improved means whereby any attempted unauthorized removal of the contents of the receptacle 10, will be readily detected and the intruder will receive a severe shock and will be prevented from further attempting to gain admission to the compartment 12.

Referring to the wiring diagram and assuming that the switch 33 is closed, the circuit will be as follows. Through the conductor 32, switch 33, to the primary winding coil 24a of the transformer, thence to the point 35 and thence through the conductor 34 to the ground.

This will set up an induced current in the secondary winding of the transformer, but the circuit of the secondary winding will be open.

When a person inserts his arm into the opening 15, the arm will contact with the wall of the receptacle 10 and when the hand contacts with the elements 25-26-31 as indicated by the dotted line 15a, the circuit through the secondary winding will be completed and the current will then flow from the contact point 35, through the secondary winding 24h, through the elements 25--26-31, through the arm 15a, through the wall of the receptacle 10 to the ground 10a, thereby causing a shock to be given through the arm.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. A safety storage box or receptacle having a door opening of a size to just admit the insertion of the hand and arm of a person therethrough, a closure therefor, two compartments within the receptacle one of which constitutes a storage compartment and provided with an opening communicating with the other compartment, a shiftable closure for the last said opening and concealed within the receptacle, and means within the receptacle and including a normally open elec tric circuit, the last said closure being included in said circuit and disposed out of alinement with the said door opening, said circuit being closed by contact of a hand with the last said closure of a persons hand which is inserted through the first said opening, and a switch device also included in said circuit.

`2. A safety storage box or receptacle having a door opening of a size to just admit the insertion of the hand and arm of a person therethrough, a closure therefor, two compartments within the receptacle, one of which constitutes a storage compartment and provided with an opening communicating with the other compartment, a shiftable closure for the last said opening and concealed within the receptacle, means within the receptacle and including a normally open electric circuit, the last said closure being included in said circuit and disposed out of alinement with the said door opening, said circuit being closed by the Contact of a hand with the last said closure of a persons hand which is inserted through the rst said opening, a switch device also included in said circuit, and means for temporarily holding the last said closure in an open position.

3. A safety storage receptacle provided with an entrance opening in the wall thereof and only of a size to just admit the insertion of the hand and arm of a person therethrough so that the arm will contact the wall of the opening, said opening being disposed adjacent'the top of the receptacle, a closure for the opening, a partition Within and dividing the receptacle into two compartments, said partition having an opening adjacent its bottom and out of alinement with the rst said opening and forming a communicating passage between the compartments, a slidable closure for the opening in said partition, a normally open electric circuit in which said receptacle is included, means for supplying current to the circuit, the said sliding closure being included in the said circuit, the circuit being closed through the hand and arm of a person when the hand contacts the closure, and a conveniently located control switch in said circuit.

4. A safety storage receptacle provided with an f sertion of the hand and arm of a person therethrough into the receptacle so that the arm will contact with the wall of the opening, a closure for the opening, two compartments in the receptacle having communication with each other, an obstruction to the communicating opening between the compartments, a normally open circuit in which said obstruction is included, and means for supplying current to said circuit, said obstruction being concealed Within the receptacle and out of alinement with said entrance opening, and also included in said circuit and operating when engaged by the inserted hand or arm of a person to close the circuit.

.5. A safety storage receptacle provided with an entrance opening of a size to just admit the insertion of the hand and arm of a person therethrough into the receptacle and so that the arm will contact with the wall of the opening, a closure for the opening, two compartments in the receptacle having communication with each other, a normally open circuit in which said receptacle is included, means for supplying current to said circuit, an obstruction to the communicating opening between the compartments and concealed within the receptacle and also included in said circuit and operating when engaged by the inserted hand or arm of a person to close the circuit, the `said entrance opening being out of alinement with the said obstruction, and means embodying a conveniently located switch device for opening said circuit at Will.

JOHN DRENTHE. 

